2020 has not been a good year for weddings. The COVID-19 pandemic has left brides-to-be rescheduling their special day, canceling honeymoons, and saying goodbye to tropical bachelorettes. All we can do in the meantime is take time to reassess, regroup, and appreciate the wonderful people in our lives. For the time being, if you're in need of a little inspiration and glamour, take a look back at some of the most iconic weddings in history, hosted by celebrities and public figures who did not hold back when it came to their big day. From '50s sirens to modern day royalty, celebrity royalty, and actual British royalty, these are some of the most out-there weddings of all time.
1942: Marilyn Monroe and James Dougherty
James Dougherty, a police officer, married 16 year-old Norma Jean Baker before she became the icon we know today as Marilyn Monroe. They divorced in 1946, and in a 1990 interview Dougherty said, “I never knew Marilyn Monroe, and I don’t claim to have any insights to her to this day.”
1947: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip
Thousands of guests attended the wedding of Princess Elizabeth (later known as Queen Elizabeth) and Prince Philip, including the King of Iraq and and the Prince and Princess of the Netherlands. Designers submitted their sketches for her dress and, ultimately, designer Norman Hartenell was approved a mere three months before the wedding.
1955: Debbie Reynolds and Eddie FIsher
Singer and performer Eddie Fisher wed actress Debbie Reynolds in Grossinger, New York, in 1955. Their close friends and couple, Elizabeth Taylor and Mike Todd, had the roles of best man and matron of honor. However, controversy struck when Todd tragically died in a plane crash in 1958 and Fisher and Taylor began to have an affair. Reynolds divorced Fisher in 1959 and Fisher and Taylor wed in the same year. Fisher and Reynolds had two children, Todd and Carrie Fisher.
1956: Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco
Bonafide movie star Grace Kelly starred in many films, but it was her marriage to Prince Raineier that gave her her biggest role—princess. Costume designer Helen Rose designed her the dress. which included 400 feet of fabric, and had hundreds of pearls hand-sewn to the lace.
1971: Mick and Bianca Jagger
One of the most iconic weddings of all time is the wedding of Mick and Bianca Jagger. This highly photographed, paparazzi playground had an all-star guest list (Jagger had a private jet fly out Elton John and Paul McCartney). Bianca was four months pregnant and wore a YSL white smoking jacket, long skirt, sun hat, and veil. Mick was in a green suit and colored sneakers. What could be more rockstar than that?
1989: Victoria Lockwood and Charles Althorp
When former fashion model Victoria Lockwood married Charles Alhtorp (brother of Princess Diana), she wore a dress by designer Tomasz Starzewski, giving him his breakout moment. The unconventional dress was inspired by medieval paintings and was made with french antique lace and Russian sable.
1997: Kristen McMenamy and Miles Aldridge
Kristen McMenamy's wedding to photographer Miles Aldridge was more of a fashion show than a wedding (after all, they did meet in Karl Largerfeld's car). With guests like Manolo Blahnik and Vivienne Westwood, there was definitely a fashion a-list crowd. Her dress was a custom Lagerfeld creation and the headpiece was Philip Treacy.
2019: Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber
Hailey Baldwin wore a custom gown and veil by Off-White designer Virgil Abloh. The couple wed in a religious ceremony in South Carolina and Baldwin had three (!) outfit changes.
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